Description
If I Ever Get Out of Here tells the engaging story of seventh-grader Lewis "Shoe" Blake from the Tuscarora Reservation. Being the lone rez teen and being bused to a small town for his educations presents a challenge that resonates for many outsider students trying to fit in. Lewis has a new friend, George Haddonfield from the local Air Force base, but in 1975 upstate New York there is a lot of tension and hatred between Native Americans and Whites--and Lewis is not sure that he can rely on friendship. As the boys connect through their mutual passion for music, especially the Beatles, Lewis has to lie more and more to hide the reality of his family's poverty from George. He also has to deal with the vicious Evan Reininger, who makes Lewis the special target of his wrath and bullying. But when everyone else is on Evan's side, how can he be defeated? And if George finds out the truth about Lewis's home - will he still be his friend? A fictional account that rings true for many First Nations students attending school outside their home community. A highly recommended story from an Onondaga writer and visual artist who grew up on the Tuscarora Reservation, New York.